sustainable living at our farm, inn & cooking school in Le Marche, Italy

Thursday, May 11

The Perfect Pea Crostini Recipe

This is one of my all time favorite Spring dishes - pea crostini. It sounds so simple (and it is!) but the bright flavor and color of the young peas & crunchy toasted bread make me long for Spring all year round! It's a good thing that peas are found at every market, fruttovendolo and shop right now for next to nothing because I can't get enough! When the peas (or fave/broad beans) are in season there is no need to cook them down or cover them in heavy sauces - keep it simple like they do in the Italian countryside with just olive oil, a little garlic, salt & pepper ... that's it!

Throw the peas in a pan & cover with water & a little salt. Bring to a boil & lower to a simmer. Cook a couple of minutes until the peas are tender. Drain.

Return the pan to the heat. Pour in a couple glugs of olive oil and the garlic clove. Heat the garlic & oil slightly.

Toss the peas into the pan & sautee for a minute or two. Then remove the clove of garlic. Begin mashing with the back of a wooden spoon or fork until you smash it up a bit. If the pan requires a few drops of water, that's ok to add a bit of water if needed.

Remove the pan from heat & season with salt & pepper add a squeeze of lemon and any herbs you like: mint, parsley, chive

Toast slices of good bread and top with a generous spoonful of peas. You can drizzle a little really good quality extra virgin olive oil as well if you like & finally a shave of parmesan on top!